Food in #Gezi Park Protests: From Ideology and Solidarity to Resistance

Food may be a marker of identity, metaphor of social change, and mean of resistance. Gezi Park events started after brutal intervention of police to Gezi Park occupiers in May 29, 2013, and soon turned into one of the greatest civil protests in the Turkish history. It spread to other parts of Turkey. During the events protesters responded to misinformation of mass media and accusations of the government in variety of creative ways.

Drawing from my observations, news and social media, in this paper, I will focus on food as one of these creative responses of the protesters to the government and its mass media. I will analyze how food has been used by the protesters as an ideology, solidarity, and resistance. Starting with ideological motivations and solidarity gestures, with the beginning of Ramadan, food utilized as a mean of resistance. Food is used as a mean of resistance in two ways. First, as a metaphor to disprove that protesters and the protests are anti-religious in character. Second, as a practice such as by organizing public fast breaking events (iftars) on Istiklal Street, the busiest street in Taksim Square in front of the police barricade. I will analyze how food was synthesized and utilized into “food as a resistance” practices.